Successful Road Tripping
Despite the increase of gas prices, road trips continue to be popular. They have a certain kind of romance to them which is perhaps why important details and realistic plans are often overlooked; making the trip go from dreamy to nightmare in only two days on the road. How many people do you know, after having come back from a car trip, have said that next time - they'll fly!
However, if you prepare for the trip and do a few modifications while on the road, I promise you a successful trip ahead. And trust me - I've learned from experience what does and does not work after having driven across Europe and America several times. And in preparing for my upcoming three week drive across Canada, I'm going to take my own advice!
Car safety is one of the biggest issues and often the most overlooked. If you do not know how to change a tire, hook up jumper cables or fix your over-heated engine with a paper clip and rock a la McGuiver, then do yourself a favour and get AAA or CAA or any equivalent in the country in which you're driving. You want to have their numbers handy in case you have a problem. No one likes to be on the side of the road in extreme heat or rain, wondering what to do. Just make sure your cell phone is charged so you can call or that you have a phone card if you have to use a pay phone. And if your car does break down, make sure you have flares or a flash light (at night) so you can let other drivers know you need help.
But to avoid a mid-trip meltdown, get your car serviced ahead. Make sure your tires have traction and air (and keep checking the air on the trip. Heat and elevation changes can change tire pressure). Make sure your breaks work, you have oil, your wiper blades will do the job and your AC (if you're travelling in summer) isn't about to go on the blitz. Think of what you're asking your car to do - take you somewhere safely and comfortably - so make sure you treat it right before you go.
Then think of gear for your car. For me a must have is a Contour Lumbar Cushion by Relax The Back for my back. I could not believe how much this helped on a three day drive from Seattle to Los Angeles; keeping fatigue and muscle soreness at bay. . You can find them for as little as $35 but it's a great investment you'll have well beyond your trip. I also carry a travel blanket in the car for napping or keeping myself warm if my travel partner gets a little AC crazy. A set of comfortable nightshades is perfect for afternoon naps as is ear plugs which can help block out road noise or your driving partners ACDC. For those times when you have to do a lot of driving, anything you can do to make napping easier is great. So bring a real pillow if possible or a neck rest if space is an issue. Make sure you also have a bag for garbage, a travel towel for clean ups and an organiser for your maps and receipts. There's nothing worse than driving around aimlessly looking for a place after 7 hours of driving. Keeping things organised as much as possible in the car will save you hassle throughout the day.
Food is another major issue and one that isn't really talked about. Road trip are fun? Right? So bring out the Cheesey's, the chocolate bars, the fast food along the highway! Right? Wrong! Bad eating habits will contribute to fatigue, irritability and other issues we just won't mention here. Eating junk and fast food can also cost a lot in money and time - how much time have you wasted in a crappy diner when you could have been picnicking in some beautiful park? I try to limit sugary foods so instead of eating sugar all day long, I choose to enjoy the cake in the afternoon or that world famous ice cream mid-day. This does wonders for energy, for your whole well being and for irritability. There's nothing worse than sitting in a car for 5 hours with a bulbous belly and nothing to relieve it but antacids and scary rest stops. So don't take another trip down that road. You want to enjoy your trip? Then change how you eat on it.
I take two coolers; one for the trunk and a smaller collapsible one for the front. To keep the coolers cool on the road I buy a box of 1 gallon Ziploc bags. Each morning I stop as a gas station, buy a bag of ice for $1 and fill up a couple of the Ziploc bags. This keeps the food in the cooler, cool, without having water all over. I just keep re-filling the same Ziplocs for the trip and put other food in the other Ziplocs. Cheap, easy, effective.
